tessellations
by pyotr ilyich
Summary: Because their stories fit together perfectly, no matter which way you place them. —Red, Leaf, and seven examples of their congruity.
1. Snow

Day: 1  
Time: 24 minutes  
Prompt: things I'll never say  
Theme: winter  
Words: 206

Snow always fell on the peak of Mt. Silver. Its dismal altitude enshrouded the mountain in perpetual winter, which didn't do much to dispel its reputation as the most barren location in all of Kanto-Johto.

Red wondered if it was winter on ground level as well. Maybe the Snow Festival was taking place in Pallet this year. His mother would be busying herself with preparations for that right now, whipping up cream for treats, inviting Green's mom over to help in the kitchen… She would set aside a small bundle for him, of course, and send it in a care package by pidgeot that hopefully wouldn't get lost halfway up the mountain.

Maybe Leaf would be back for the season. Maybe she'd visit his mother like she always did, making herself at home in the worn-out seat by the counter, entertaining the older woman with stories of her travels.

Maybe, if Red was home, he would finally tell her what he'd wanted to say for a long time.

But he wasn't. He was stuck atop the icy peak with little left to comfort him besides a belt of pokéballs, and he doubted that would change soon. And the longer he stayed, the more was left unsaid.

* * *

_A/N: This is the first of seven burningleaf drabbles written for the OTP Week Challenge on the Pokémon Fanfiction Challenges Forum. Hope you enjoy :)_

_Ebaz_


	2. Under the Branches

Day: 2  
Time: 55 minutes  
Prompt: seeking solace  
Theme: spring  
Words: 244

Before Champion Lance guarded the continent, before Team Rocket was a name anyone had heard (let alone feared), before Pallet was more than two or three houses in a grove near the sea, there had existed a tree.

There were many trees around, of course; much of Kanto's unexplored surroundings was forest, and Pallet in particular was surrounded by them. And this tree was not much different—it was no older or grander, had no wise old gnarls or hollows so revered in fairy tales—but it was significant to the people who made it their own.

At its base was where they had met, neither tall enough to grasp the budding branches. Against its trunk was where they sat and traded sandwiches from their mothers. Among its leaves was where they had vowed friendship forever. Under its canopy was where they had shared their first kiss.

And now, between the roots was where half of the pair sat, alone in the shadows cast by the waxing moon. Perhaps she was comforted by the familiarity of the tree and the memories it stirred; perhaps the empty space beside her struck loneliness into her heart.

The tears pooling in her eyes confirmed that it was the latter.

(A ways off, the other half of that pair shifted in his sleep. He dreamt of a lean tree, warm chocolate eyes, and something that could have been love.

He woke with a hollow ache in his heart.)


	3. Such Rebels Are We

Day: 3  
Time: 40 minutes  
Prompt: shattered glass  
Theme: mist  
Words: 586

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Red woke in a hazy jumble of thoughts, aware of the fact that he had been woken up and not much else. A bleary glance at the clock told him it was 1:09 AM. He groaned.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

He froze. Something was knocking at his window.

All the horror movies he'd ever watched immediately ran through his mind. He was sure there was a hazy mist spreading outside his window, a darkrai floating ominously in the midst, biding its time—

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

He considered diving under the covers and staying there for eternity. Then he reasoned that the pokémon would be able to get him whether he had a duvet over his head or not, so he swallowed and walked to the window.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

He cautiously peered outside. In the lamplight was a figure: short, thin, and definitely human. Sighing with relief, he unlocked the window and pushed it open a crack, letting in the warm summer night's air.

"Leaf," he hissed. "What are you doing here?"

"Waking you up," she replied, and hurried closer to the window. "C'mon, let's go."

He maneuvered himself through the window and landed in the soft grass, grateful that he hadn't yet moved into his new second-story room. Leaf went on ahead, but he knew exactly where she was going.

She was leaning against the trunk when he caught up.

"Nice pajamas," she said, glancing downward at his pika-print pants.

"Hey, yours aren't much better," he said defensively, nodding at the cheery vanilluxe smiling at him from her shirt.

"Not the point," she said, but grinned anyway.

"So what was the point of nearly breaking my window to get me here?" Red asked as he sat down next to her.

Leaf shrugged. "Practice in case we ever need to _actually_ sneak out, I guess. Plus, it's nice out."

He thought of his mother at home and hoped she hadn't noticed his absence.

"Rebellious," he said sarcastically, and she laughed.

"Like I could ever get you to do anything rebellious," she teased.

"Try me."

"Well…" She appeared to be thinking. "Go ring Green's doorbell and run away."

"Fine," he said, fueled by a strange need to prove that he could be a rebel, too, and stood up.

Green's house was in between his and Leaf's, so it was a short walk to the front door. Red crept up the stairs, and as soon as he struck the doorbell, ran as fast as he could.

They snickered as Green's mom opened the door a crack, peered around, and closed the door with an exasperated sigh.

"Well, that was fun," said Red as they settled back down at their tree. "I think it's your turn now."

"_My_ turn?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "I got you out here in the first place, didn't I?"

"Still," he said.

She sighed, pretending to be exasperated. "Fine." And, just like that, she kissed him.

He was so high on adrenaline that he didn't even register the kiss until it was over and he realized just how _close_ Leaf's face was to his.

"That was _definitely_ rebellious," he thought he said, but in reality it was probably something more like "Uh—rebel—yeah—yeah."

Leaf smiled. "You're so cute when you're flustered."

He might have fallen asleep in his breakfast the next morning, but it was definitely worth it.

_A/N: stupid ending because I was typing really fast and then I realized it had been 39 minutes and yeah :P_


	4. Treasure

Day: 4  
Time: 34 minutes  
Prompt: treasure  
Theme: summer  
Words: 283

Summer in Pallet usually meant three things: humidity, bugs, and ineffective air-conditioning. It was no wonder the Oaks vacationed to Sinnoh each August. For those unlucky enough to remain at home, the Plagues (as they were called) were a popular topic amongst about everyone.

"So damn _hot_," Leaf griped, fanning herself with her hat. It seemed most of the town was at Southern Beach that afternoon—all the more reason, she had insisted, to go somewhere that _wasn't_ there. So she and Red were taking a stroll through the forest to the east of Pallet, where at least they would be free from sun.

Still, both of their shirts dampened as they went deeper into the forest, and they were both exhausted after only half an hour. The bugs were worse, too, and both had amassed a fair number of mosquito bites in that time.

Leaf was just about to suggest a rest break when something caught her eye. Beyond the nearest thicket of trees was something… sparkly. She couldn't quite tell what it was.

"D'you see that?" she whispered to Red, and pointed.

Leading him by hand, she crept in between the trees and peered through the branches. And, in the small clearing behind them, they discovered a pristine pool of shimmering water.

"Ohmygodit's_gorgeous_," she breathed, and ran to the edge. The water was cool to the touch.

She grinned. "Wanna go swimming?"

From that day on, the pool became their secret—not even Green knew about it. Summers became more bearable, and winters gave them a small ice rink.

It was like a treasure, and they reveled in the idea that they might be the only souls who knew of it.

_A/N: not very fond of this one :P_


	5. Leaves

Day: 5  
Time: 7 minutes  
Prompt: erudite  
Theme: autumn  
Words: 177

"Now, pokémonology is…"

Professor Oak might've been smart, but he sure was boring.

That's what five-year-old Leaf thought, anyways. Green's grandpa was talking to her, Red, and Green about research and stuff, but Leaf wasn't really interested. It was raining out, anyways, and that meant she could be splashing in puddles right now instead.

"…to be particularly erudite professors…"

The wind was blowing pretty hard, and scattering all the pretty leaves around. They were all different colors, red and yellow and orange, and she thought they looked prettier than in any other season. Besides, her birthday was coming up, and she had been named for those leaves, anyways.

"…for your future."

Green stood up, and she realized it was over. Leaf scrambled to her feet and grabbed an unsuspecting Red's hand. "Can we go outside? Pleeeease?" she wheedled to the professor, jumping up and down.

Professor Oak frowned and looked outside. "Make sure you're safe—"

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she yelled as she dragged Red out the door.

"—and don't forget your umbrella," he finished, shaking his head.


	6. Natural

Day: 6  
Time: 38 minutes  
Prompt: cut  
Theme: rain  
Words: 645

Huh. It was raining. She wasn't even surprised.

Leaf secured the door of her secret base with a hefty mat and settled down into the chair with a weary sigh. She'd been stationed in Hoenn to research the behavior of wild Pokémon for Professor Oak, but he had failed to mention that the entire region was just about the wettest place she'd ever been. Kanto didn't have any sort of weather like this. The locals in the Lilycove Pokémon Center hadn't even batted an eyelash at the several impending hurricane warnings displayed on the small television a few months ago. She supposed it was a foreign thing to actually worry when potentially life-threatening situations were close by.

Then again, she _was_ inside a tiny grass hut in the middle of what sounded like it was going to be a fairly-sized storm. Whatever. It was all in the name of science.

On a whim, she removed the mat and peered outside, looking around quickly to see if there were any stragglers caught in the rain. It was a good thing she had, too, because in the distance she could see a sudden gale throw a rain-spotted figure against the side of the rope bridge, making it sway dangerously.

_Shit._ Without a second thought, she darted out from her secret base and sprinted towards the man, slipping around in the mud in her haste.

"Come with me!" she yelled to him, but she doubted he could hear her over the screams of the wind.

He ran towards her and she grabbed his hand to run with him. Nearly blinded by the pelting rain, she scrambled to find the entrance, but she located it soon and pulled him inside, panting and dripping.

The interior of the little grass hut was strangely quiet compared to the cacophony of sharp raindrops against mud just outside. She helped the stranger into a chair and helped him remove the scarf he had tied around his face to keep out the rain, and let out a gasp of surprise when she saw a pair of very familiar brown eyes and a shock of dark hair.

"Oh my god, Red, I've missed you so much."

"Leaf," he croaked, and a relieved smile spread over his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on duty for Oak—what are _you_ doing here? I thought you were supposed to be back home now!" she chastised as he removed his soaked jacket and draped it over the back of the chair.

"Had to stop on my way home from Sinnoh, and then this happened." He gestured to the door.

Leaf began rummaging around in the small closet. "I've barely got enough for one bed, let alone two… I can sleep on the mats, I guess," she suggested.

Red shook his head. "No, I've got to get back home soon. My mom's expecting—"

Leaf gave him a patronizing look. "You think you're going to be able to fly in this weather? You couldn't make it through it; how d'you think you're going to get out from the _middle_ of it?"

"Magic," he said. "Witchcraft. Voodoo. Sorcery." But he joined her in setting up the meager bed of tiny cushions and blankets.

"So you can have this," she said, looking at the heap of cushions, "and I'll take the chair, then." She pulled up the chair he'd been sitting on: a spindly thing with a faded pink heart on the back. It didn't look particularly comfortable.

"Don't be ridiculous," he insisted. "You'll sleep on the bed."

"Then—then you will, too," she said, and his face colored.

"If you say so," he said quietly.

And it felt natural, right, to slip his arm around her as they lay there listening to the rain attack the hut's grassy roof, and he couldn't remember why they had ever been apart.

_a/n: I was gonna go into more detail about the split-up thing, but I ran out of time :P damn time limits. I was imagining that they had peacefully broken it off after Leaf accepted a field job from Professor Oak, which would require her to journey a lot (hence the Hoenn setting), and right before Red would take his sojourn on Mt. Silver._

_also the majority of this was written at approximately 3:30 am, when apparently my filters come off and I type as fast as I can_

_Ebaz_


	7. Éphémère

Day: 7  
Time: 25 minutes  
Prompt: "Will you… would you… could you…"  
Theme: drifting  
Words: 232

It was probably a Saturday, or at least it felt like one. The days had started to blur together a while ago, but he hadn't really noticed when.

He was by himself on this probably-Saturday, sitting atop the mountain sans shoes and cap, letting the snow drift in fluffy glaciers down his feet. He looked at the sky, then down at his knees, and then back upwards again; the falling snowflakes caressed his cheeks in a familiar cadence.

And then, quite suddenly, he was not alone. _She_ stood over him, squinting adorably against the glaring sheets of white surrounding them, her smile just as he'd remembered it from so long ago. Indistinguishable from a snowflake excepting warmth, a kiss found its way onto his lips, light and sweet and ephemeral.

She murmured things to him that didn't have much meaning, and he listened all the same. They lay together in the snow, ignorant of the pressing coldness it emanated. And before long the nothings turned to gazes and _will-you-would-you-could-you-stay-the-night_s that weren't out of the ordinary for maybe-Saturdays, even if it was only him.

But the voices pulling him back to reality were strong against his will, and when he awoke she had vanished. Or had she been there at all?

It was best that he didn't think about it. Those things were better left unsaid.

_a/n: done done done only two months lateeee thanks for sticking with me xx_


End file.
